Whose Feet Can I Wash Today?

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As a child, I was annoyed when someone's feet touched my body.  If my brothers or sister were on the couch with me, they knew they could get a reaction if they maneuvered their foot to rest against me.  In fact, I'm not sure I've outgrown that aversion!

In John 13, we read about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples.  As He explains to them the significance of what He has done, He says in verse 14, "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet."

The lesson here is that we are to serve others.  We should see no task as too menial or lowly to do in service for Christ. 

I doubt that I will be called upon to literally wash someone's feet today.  But I may be required to clean up after my children, pack my husband's lunch, wash dishes after a church fellowship, or deliver a meal to a new mother.  If Jesus can humbly and willingly bathe the dusty, dirty feet of a roomful of grown men, how can I not do whatever I am called on to do in service to others?

May I not only sweetly accomplish my duties, but let me seek out opportunities to demonstrate the heart of a servant.  Each day, let us ask ourselves, "Whose feet can I wash today?"

Saturday Salutes

There's much to ponder in What's Your Definition of Successful Parenting at Simple Mom.

If you're a blogger - or write in any format - you'll want to read Jody's post on A Writer's Number One Enemy.

I found encouragement for myself as well as tips for helping my daughter in Sunny Side Up.

It has been a full week, but I'm thankful for the physical strength and energy to keep up with everything!  I think I'm going to sneak in a bit of Christmas shopping by myself this morning, then shiver through a fall cookout at church tonight!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

It Is Enough

Perhaps you're familiar with the story in II Samuel 24.  David had sinned in numbering the people of Israel and God sent the prophet Gad to instruct David to choose his punishment.  David decides to "fall into the hand of the Lord" and three days' pestilence comes on the land.

However, in verse sixteen, as the angel stretches out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, God tells the angel, "It is enough," and the plague is stayed.

Truly our God is merciful; He knows just when to relieve us in our trials.

The greatest example of this in my own life occurred during the pregnancy of our firstborn daughter.  Diagnosed at eighteen weeks' gestation with anencephaly, I continued to carry this precious baby, knowing that she would be unable to live outside the womb.  I believe that God, in His mercy, allowed me to deliver her early, at just thirty-three weeks, rather than going full term. 

God is deeply involved in all of our trials and knows just what needs to be done in order to work His intended purpose in our lives.  Whatever you or I may be facing today, may we thank God that at just the right moment, He will intervene and say, "It is enough."

Catching Up on Reading

Since we were out of town at the beginning of October, I never posted my reading progress for September.  In this post, I'll combine the books I read in September and October.

I realize that people sometimes have strong opinions about the On Becoming Babywise book by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, M.D.  My own experience of using many of the methods recommended in that book worked well when it came to getting our babies into a routine for sleeping and eating.  I had read other books in the series, but just recently bought On Becoming Preteenwise:  Parenting Your Child from Eight to Twelve Years and On Becoming Teenwise:  Building a Relationship That Lasts a Lifetime.  I didn't find Preteenwise to have much different advice than what was given in Childwise, but I did glean a few helpful ideas from the Teenwise book.

Mindless Eating:  Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink, PH.D., from my book list for the year, was an easy and interesting read.  The author shared results from surveys and studies about our eating habits and included tips for helping us to mindlessly eat less.

A friend at church gave me the book Sweet Journey by Teri Maxwell.  It is a Bible study that I have found to be encouraging and convicting.  It covers the basics of our walk with God, including Bible reading, prayer, and Bible memory, yet reminds us of how important these aspects are to growth in our Christian lives.  I haven't quite finished it yet, but I'm loving the practical applications she provides.

In the realm of fiction, I had to catch up on Karen Kingsbury's latest two books, Leaving and Learning.  I can't say this is my favorite series of hers, but I'm looking forward to continuing the story when the next book releases later this month.

I finished reading Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton to the girls.  It was our lunchtime read-aloud for October.  At bedtime, I'm reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare to my ten-year-old and The Bronze Bow (by the same author and on our reading list for the year) to our eight-year-old.  Elizabeth George Speare was a favorite author of mine when I was a child, but I somehow missed reading The Bronze Bow.

As for our bedtime Bible-related reading, we are continuing to make our way through The Adventure of Missionary Heroism by John Lambert and Joshua Wean.  The words used in this book strain even my vocabulary at times which makes the actual stories a bit difficult for my ten-year-old to follow.  We have skipped certain portions of this book and are just going to finish up the stories that look the most interesting.  On the other hand, The Bible Smuggler, a biography of William Tyndale by Louise A. Vernon, is very age-appropriate and we are all three enjoying it.

I have just two months now to finish up the rest of the books on my 2011 reading list.  We'll see if I can make it!

What have you been reading lately?